WHO COMMITS CRIME?

Who commits crime?



Who commits a crime?

Introduction

Crime refers to a set of acts that are carried out against the laws which are typically implemented and accepted by the entire society. Crime can also be defined as the conduct of the person or persons who do not meet the requirements of the given society and violate the laws of that society. Crime rate in many parts of the world is quite high. The reason because of which crime rate is very powerful in several countries is due to various criminal activities performed by the gangsters. Though, police, and, law enforcing agencies are taking all practicable measures to control the criminal activities taking place in many parts of the world. They have succeeded, but they need more efforts in preventing the criminal activities that are taking place in various countries, and, cities. In this assignment, three nefarious activities would be covered which are homicide, burglary and corporate crime. Therefore, all issues related to these crimes will be discussed in detail.

Main Body

1. Homicide

Homicide is defined as the intentional killing of an individual by another individual. It is a leading cause of death in the United States, with approximately 18,000 homicides occurring annually. Previous research has suggested that the homicide rate varies among demographic characteristics, with an increased rate observed for younger ages, males, and blacks (compared to whites). Additional research has suggested that socio-economic indicators such as high unemployment, low median, income, and, low education attainment, associated with increased homicide rates. The strongest risk factors are race, age, and firearm ownership, although other risk factors include alcohol and substance use and occupation and industry. To date, a majority of violent crime prevention programs have focused on either primary (e.g., school intervention programs involving behavioural consultation and mentorship or secondary (e.g., strict enforcement of concealed weapons laws) prevention. Yet, the tertiary aspect of homicide prevention (i.e., trauma care) has not been extensively examined (Blumstein, 2000, 541).

While primary and secondary prevention efforts are targeted towards altering at-risk behaviours for homicide, tertiary prevention is involved with the prevention of death from a violent crime-related injury (e.g., assault). Established trauma systems can prevent deaths by allowing for rapid emergency medical response, thereby increasing the injured patient's chance of survival through the receipt of timely and appropriate medical care. Additionally, because not all violent crime-related injuries are lethal, trauma centres may also play a role in primary prevention of homicide by serving as a clinical setting for the prevention of repeat violent crime-related injuries through intervention programs provided by medical staff (McCall, 2008, 735).

For instance, U.S. homicide clearance rates have dropped from more than 92% in 1960 to 61% in 2006. Such low and declining clearance rates for a serious offence may reduce the deterrent effect of the criminal justice system, public trust in police and the criminal justice system overall, and morale among police officers. Non clearance of homicide incidents also traumatizes victims' families and increases fear of ...